Herpes Simplex Virus and Alzheimer's Disease Risk
Author Information
Author(s): Letenneur Luc, Pérès Karine, Fleury Hervé, Garrigue Isabelle, Barberger-Gateau Pascale, Helmer Catherine, Orgogozo Jean-Marc, Gauthier Serge, Dartigues Jean-François
Primary Institution: INSERM, U897, Bordeaux, France
Hypothesis
Does seropositivity to Herpes Simplex Virus antibodies increase the risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease?
Conclusion
Reactivation of HSV seropositivity is highly correlated with incident Alzheimer's Disease.
Supporting Evidence
- IgM-positive subjects showed a significant higher risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease.
- 77 incident Alzheimer's Disease cases were diagnosed during the follow-up.
- 82.8% of subjects were IgG-positive and 8.4% were IgM-positive at baseline.
Takeaway
People who have had a recent herpes virus infection might be more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease later on.
Methodology
Cox proportional hazard models were used to study the risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease based on anti-HSV IgG and IgM antibodies in a cohort of elderly subjects.
Potential Biases
Potential lack of statistical power due to small sample sizes for certain comparisons.
Limitations
The study did not determine the subtype of HSV virus and relied on a single blood sample for antibody detection.
Participant Demographics
Elderly subjects aged 65 and over, with a mean age of 72.8 years at inclusion.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.003
Confidence Interval
[1.38–4.72]
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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